Too Darn Hot

Hello to those of you reading this (hi Mom),

I've made it to Missoula, Montana. This is actually according to plan, so please - control your snickering. The boys at Bitterroot Bugs have stated - unequivocally - that the car must be observed and the oil changed after 400 miles. Ergo, unless I want to become the human boomerang, I needs must drive hither, thither, and yon but within towing distance of Columbia, Falls MT. Towing, by the way, does NOT contribute to the 400 mile target.

So I'm sitting in a Starbucks with a venti chai. If you recall in an earlier post I forecast this exact situation. But, you may ask, why on earth am I not in the Blue Bed Bug? Well, I'm still working out the, well, bugs of the electrical/networking system. While I can get a 3G signal, it is only so-so (time to check that wireless booster behind the drivers seat that I hear humming). While I can get into the local KOA, I'm not convinced that I should try to enter post-business-hours without some fortification by way of caffeine. And while I can get my stuff working, I'm not entirely sure if I'll be able to keep it all functioning for any significant length of time.

Apparently the BBB only has a group-24 battery. I was unaware that this is weak-chops. Luckily a family friend (hi Ken!) opened up the battery compartment and poked around. He pointed out, with a chuckle, the crazy wiring and manual switching system (say hello to the "switch") from battery to shore power. He also pointed out that with the gear I intend to run on a regular basis - you know, for work during the 8 ("10") hour day - will drain the battery in the timespan required to be groped in a crowded Tokyo train after entry. Same experience actually - you think your on your way only to feel really uncomfortable and unable to get away.

I'll be kicking around here for the next 5 days - come hell AND high water. Thanks to last minute, yet brilliant, work by my Dad on the hitch adapter and Ken on the arrangement, I was able to get my sweet bike, a Nirve, into the bike rack without it falling off the back or getting creamed by an over-eager tailgater. That is my in-town transport and I fully hope to get some use out of it before the weather drops to freezing. Bummer.

So wish me luck and thank my parents for their support up to and including last-minute adjustments, supplies, and supplication. We're off!